$40K in donations for soldiers in limbo, remain unpaid by Meat House

A local nonprofit that supports soldiers and their families is still waiting for $40,000 worth of donations collected by the Meat House at a large charity event on the Seacoast last summer.

The news comes as four of the state’s six Meat House locations have suddenly shut their doors. The closures are temporary according to company executives, despite questions about the company's finances. On Tuesday, the state labor department told News 9 it would be reviewing the company’s financial records after two complaints of paychecks bouncing. And News 9 first reported on Monday that investors have filed suit against Meat House alleging that they haven’t been paid.

The charity event, hosted by the Meat House in July, was billed as New England’s largest military appreciation event of the year. Thousands of people bought $15 tickets to the 10th annual “Operation: Thank You,” at the Redhook Brewery but more than six months later none of the money raised at the event has been turned over to Chaplain’s Emergency Relief Fund, according to Chaplain Steven Veinotte, the fund’s director.

Veinotte said they provide emergency financial assistance to military members who live in New Hampshire. They serve more than 100 families every year, raising anywhere between $50,000 and $100,000 in donations.

He said a Meat House executive is part of the informal advisory committee for the nonprofit agency that administers the fund. They last spoke about the money in December but there were no concerns that the money wouldn’t be transferred because of a long-standing relationship between the Meat House and the charity.

“There has been no reason for concern because we’ve worked with the Meat House for many years and we’re very appreciative of their help,” Veinotte said.

When contacted by News 9, Veinotte said he didn’t know how soon a check was cut after the Operation Thank You events in previous years.

"We usually see it by now," he said. "They've been doing this for many years. They haven't said why the money hasn't come in yet. We trust them for it."

He said he plans to discuss the issue with the charity’s board of directors.

Two stores in New Hampshire remain open – a store in Amherst, which is owned by a franchisee, and another store in Dover. Other stores have closed their doors, placing signs outside that said they’re closed for remodeling. Company officials said the closures have nothing to do with financial issues or the lawsuit from investors. The company told state officials that they hoped to re-open in a few weeks with new investors.

The Meat House did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.

Redhook was also involved in the event, but did not collect any money. A Redhook spokesperson said they donated the space and beer for the event, and hope all of the money reaches the Chaplain's Emergency Relief Fund soon.

Forty years ago, one of the greatest boxing matches in history took place in an unlikely setting: the capital of the Philippines. Muhammad Ali's epic win over great rival Joe Frazier in 1975 became known as the "Thrilla in Manila."